Viscosimeter



Oct. 30, 11951 c. c. STEFFENS VISCOSIMETER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 51, 1946 INVENTOR. L J C Stiff-M BY D ATTORNEYJ Patented Oct. 30, 1951 VISCOSIMETER Carsten C. Steffens, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Sun Chemical Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

' corporation of Delaware 7 Application May'31', 1946, Serial No. 673,550

This invention relates to viscosity testing apparatus, and more particularly to a viscosimeter of the rotation type. One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a rotation viscosimeter which will give precise results-when used for measuring heavy composite materials such as plastics or materials such as printing inks which contain pigments or other solid matter in suspension.

Another object is to provide arota'tion viscosimet'er which will give resultssufiiciently accurate that they can be converted substantially directly into absolute units without the use of correction factors. 1 I 1 An additional object is to provide a rotation viscosimeter of such construction that the bearings or other supports for the rotatable member; are protected against clogging orotherintera ference by heavy test materials such as printing inks and other suspensions, ,5 1

It is also an object of the invention to provide, such a viscosimeter which may be. quickly and readily disassembled for cleaning and reassembled for further test operations; r v

A further object is to provide aviscosimeter which permits of measurement of the rate of shear for various shearing forces, in the case of relatively viscous material, whether such materials are Newtonian or non-Newtonian in flow properties.

A still further object of the inventionis to provide a rotation viscosimeter wherein all supports and guides for the rotatable membersare positioned out of contact with the material under test. I 1

- A still further object ofthe invention is to prothe line 22 in Fig. 1; and I Fig; 3 is a partial horizontal section taken on the line'33 in'FigJl. 1 e

In the preferredcmbodiment 01 the invention viscosimeter embodying a preferred'form of the- 4 Claims. (01. 73-59) shown in the drawings, the base Ill of the instru- I tween.

ment serves as a support for upright column II, which in turn is provided with two arm members I2 and I3 parallel to each other and projecting outwardly substantially at right angles to column I I. These arm members I2 and I3 may be formedintegrally with column II or otherwise secured thereto in rigid alignment. Adjacent their outer ends, arms I 2 and I3 are provided with apertures I4 and I 5, which are accurately arranged in vertical alignment and are adapted to receive a spindle member I9 having a member 20, shown as cylindrical in shape, secured to the'lower end for rotation in the material whose viscosity is under test, and apertures I4 and I5 should be sufliciently greater in diameter than spindle I9 to avoid friction therebetween. This rotatable member or bob 2|] and its supporting spindle l9 may be made of relatively heavy materials to provide stability in use, satisfactory results having been obtained, for example, by utilizing steel rod forspindle I9 and 3%" steel rod for .1301) 20. As shown, the lower end 2I of bob 20 is of conical shape, for example with a base angle of 30, and in practice it has been found that this construction reduces end effects on the material under test, which is a factor seriously affecting accuracy when the rotatable cylinder is formed with a. plane face. Similarly, the upper end 2IA of bob Z0 likewise is of conical shape, as indicated.

Fig. 2 shows most clearly the mounting means for spindle l9. A collar 25 is secured to the upper end of the spindle, for example by means of a pin 26 as shown. The lower side of this collar is supported by the upper member 21 of an annular thrust bearing, and the lower member 28 of this bearing is in turn supported by the inner race 29 of a ball bearing having its outer race 30 countersunk in the upper surface of arm [2 rcoaxially with the opening 14 for spindle I9 through the arm. As shown, the opening in arm I2 for race 30 is formed in two levels, the outer level 3| which supports race 30 being annular and sufiiciently higher than the central portion 32 so that inner race 29 is supported from outer race 30 through the balls 33 therebe- Since also thrust bearing member 28 is of lesser diameter, as shown, than, the inner diameter of race 30 and is therefore wholly supported by inner race 29, this provides a mounting for'collar 25 and spindle I9 having maximum freedom from friction during rotation of the spindle', and capable of supporting a spindle l9 and leased they will exert a bala i ice'd torque in the same direction upo'n spindle -l'9'. In' testing low viscosity' materials' a single cord and weight 12 may be used eifectivelyg but for high viscosity materialsthe" use o'f-"two weights and cords is preferred." It should also be noted that since drum 5!] and'disk 51, through which torque is ap-' plied to spindle I 9, are positioned between the guide bearings, tendency of thetorque-applying elements to causemovemen't of the spindle at :an angle to its'axis is avoided;

-AIter the'win'ding operation' iscompleted, drum 50 is held stationary,- as by supporting weights 12 by suitable-means, not shown, andthe drum is placed in driving connection with diskT-b'y'reinsertion of studs 62 in-arms 6| enemies. The weights 12 at the outer ends of cor'd'lu'are chosen as to magnitude 'in'acc'ordanc'e with the approximate viscosity of the material under test in order that the angular velocity of the rotating cylinder when weights" are released will be neither too slow nor too rapid. After the Weights are released or "the device otherwise set in motion to permit weights l2 to exert torque on drum 50 and spindle IS; the time necessary for the weights .to'travel a definitedistance, as indicated by pointer 65 on scale;60,'is measuredas by a stop watch, and from thistime, the mass of the weights and the dimensions of cylinders 20 and M), the absolute viscosity of' the material under test can b'e'quickly-and readilycalculatd.

From the results as obtained"abovefboth'the average rate of shear- (D) and-th'eaverage shearing-force (F) may be calculatedby means of the following equations, Wherein-Wd is the'angular velocity, m is the mass of weights 12, 1-1 is the radius of bob 2!], 1-2 is the radius of cylinder 40, and 1']: is the radius of drum 50, h is the length of bob 20, all as indicated in Fig. 1 and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

m.g.r T1.7'z.h

The device of the invention .has given par- ,ticularly satisfactory results for testing matethis type of material with viscosimeters of the prior art type wherein the rotating cylinder was provided with a pivotal support at its lower end. The illustrated construction wherein the supports for the rotating cylinder are Wholly outside the container for the material under test also oifers material advantages from the standpoint of ease of disassembly and cleaning. Of the rotating mechanism and its associated supports, only the cylinder 20 itself and possibly a portion of the lower part of spindle I9 come in contact with the test material and they may be readily cleaned without disassembly and thus without disturbing the alignment of the device. As also described, cylinder 40 is quickly and easily removed from the device and disassembled from 6 plug-"fofkzomplete cleaning; In operation, the device hasbeen found to run with such high freedom from friction and such accurate alignment that the readings obtained as described maybe converted directly-into absolute units of viscosity such as poises without the use of correction factors. "Whilethe form of apparatus herein described constitutes-a preferred embodiment of the invention, i-t'is to be understood that the invention-is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changesmay' be made therein a withoutdeparting 'from the scope of the invention which is defined in'the appended claims.

"What is' claimed -is:- '-'1. A"viscosimeter of the character described comprising, combination, a base, an upright member supported by s'aid'base, a pair of arm members projecting laterally from said upright member in' spaced and parallel relation, a rdtatable member, ashaftsecured to said-rotatable membefand coaxial therewith, bearing means carriedby theupper of said arm members for supporting said shaft in vertical position, bearing means carried by the other of said arm membersfor maintaining the vertical alignment of said shaft, a container for material to be tested, said container being adapted to receive said rotatable member for'rotation therein, the inner wall of said container and the outer wall of said rotatable member being of, complementary shape, ,plugmeans carried by said base and boss means carried by the lower J of, said arm members for supporting said container in vertical position and accurate concentric and spaced alignment with said rotatable member leaving uniform clearance therebetween adapted to receive the material under test.

2. A viscosimeter of the character described comprising, in combination, a base, an upright member supported by said base, a pair of arm members projecting laterally from said upright member in spaced and parallel relation, a cylindrical rotatable member,.a shaft secured to said rotatable member and coaxial therewith, bearing means carried by one of saidarm members for supporting said shaft in vertical position, bearing means carried by the other of said arm members for maintaining the vertical alignment of said shaft, a cylindrical container for material to be tested, said container being adapted to receive said rotatable member for rotation therein, a cylindrical member extending downwardly from the lower of said arm members concentric with said shaft and adapted to engage in the upper end of said container to locate said container in accurate concentric alignment with said rotatable member, said base having a hole coaxial with said shaft and rotatable member and adapted to receive said container, and a plug member including a cylindrical end portion adapted to engage in the lower end of said container and a threaded portion adjacent said cylindrical portionand of greater diameter adapted for threaded engagement with said hole in said base to support said container in fixed and accurate concentric alignment with said shaft and rotatable member.

3. A viscosimeter of the character described comprising, in combination, a base, an upright member supported by said base, a pair of arm members projecting laterally from said upright member in spaced and parallel relation, a rotatable member, a shaft secured to said rotatable member and coaxial therewith, bearing means amend-a v earriedi'bw one of saidarm memberstfor supporting'isaidzshaftnin vertical position, :bearing means carried by the-other-of said armsmembers for maintaining the ivertical alignment v of said shaft,

a fcontainer for: material to :be tested, tsaid container beingadapted to receive :said rotatable member for rotation therein, plug means carried by 'saidbase and boss meanszcarried by ,the lower of P said arm :members .for .supporting-=saidecontainer in vertical position and accurate rconproviding for the application .of torque to -said drumwtorotate said shaft and rotatablelmember in said-:c ontainer. &

-4.-:A viscosimeter of .the character described comprising, in combination, albase, an upright member supported by said. base,- a \pair' of arm members projecting laterally -from said upright member linrspaced'and parallel relation, a retatable membena shaft secured to said rotatable member-and coaxial therewith, bearing .means carried by one of said arm members forsupport- 'in'g said shaft inverticalposition, bearing means carried iby the other of said arm 'm'embersior inaintaininglthe vertical alignment of said shaft,

alcon'ta'iner for' material 'to'betested, said con- 8. tainer being l adapted recelveqsaid rotatable member J01 rotation therein, --a drum= mounted on==saidFshaftYbetWeem-Said arm-rmemberaadisk secured :to said shaft :adjacent said drum and provided 1'-with -.=indicia means index means :carried by one -:of -l-saidarm members "to cooperate with-Jsaidindiciameans for measuring rotational movement-of said-shaft, :means for securingwaid drum to .said disk :for rotation with :said shaft, aeyoke anember supported .by-said upri'ght--:mem her and including arm portions-extending-2downwardly in spacedelateralrelationwith'saidshaft, pulleys'ipivotallymounted onsaidyoke a'rm portions: substantially opposite said drum :and on opposite is-ides thereof, :.a =:pair of cards isecured at: one end-,t0- said -drum for' winding thereon and extending outwardly-(and oversaid pulleys, and weightswon theouter'end of each of said-(cords providing r for the application .of balanced etorque to said I drum to rotate said-shaft and rotatable member within-said container.

=CARSTEN c.

' "UNITED STQ"'PATENTS 

